Edward b



B.-B. NIMMOQ stylographic Fountain-Pen- No. 226,925. Patented April 27, I880.

N.PETER$. PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

EDWARD B. NIMMO, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, 'ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENT, TO \VALTER WVINTHROP, OF SAME PLACE.

STYLOGRAPHIC FOUNTAIN-PEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,925, dated April 2'7, 1880.

Application filed June 24, 1879.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. NIMMo, of Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stylographic Fountain-Pens, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of pens sometimes called stylographic, having a reservoir-handle tapering at one end and terminatin g in a capillary tube, with an internallyvilorating needle or stylus, which forms the writing-point.

My present invention is in part an improvement on a former application, filed April 26, 1879, and also embodies original devices; and it 'relates tojthe construction of the vibrating needle and its manner of mounting; also, to the construction of the air-vent of the reservoir and to the vent-cap thereof, all of which embody novel features, as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is an enlarged longitudinal section of my improved pen, and Fig. 2 represents the needle or stylus and its sustaining arm removed from the tip and viewed flatwise or at right angles to its position in Fig. 1.

As illustrated, (0 indicates the usual hollow or tube handle of the pen, forming the inkreservoir, and 1) its removable tip, which, in the usual manner, screws into the lower end of the handle, incloses the vibrating needle, and

terminates with the capillary tube 0, through which the needle vibrates. I

The vibrating needle-tongue or stylus is indicated at (Z, and is of that kind shown in my former application-via, it is laterally and longitudinally flexible, forming in itself a spring, so that under thevariable pressure of writing it yields longitudinally and bows laterally, and thus, by its own elasticity, performs the necessary vibrating action.

The needle is secured at the inner end, as also shown in said application, to a threaded ring, 0, which screws into the conical tip, as seen in Fig. 1. A novel feature, however, is the rigid sustainingarm j, which is fixed to and projects from the ring 6, and extends in line with the tongue to beyond the middle thereof, where it is crooked and bent at right angles, terminating in an eye, g, through which the tongue is guided, as shown. The tongue is inserted in this eye through a narrow slit, it, through which it is passed edgewise, and, being turned flatwise when it enters the eye, it is thus secured against displz'rcement, as shown in Fig. 2.

The inner end of the tongue is secured in place by the removable fastening-wedge i, which is driven in between the inner surface of the ring 0 and the outer face of the arm f, which latter is secured to the ringin the position of the chord of a circle, as will be fully understood from Fig. 2, thus forming a secure and simple means of fastening the tongue, and one which admits of adjusting the position of the tongue in or out, so thatits point may project the required distance from the capillary tube. Now, from the fixed end of the tongue to the point where it passes through the eye of the armfit is flat and thin, and is quite flexible or springy, while the portion beyond the arm is round and practically rigid, so that the elastic and delicate portion of the tongue is guarded by the rigid arm. At the point where the tongue projects beyond the arm, or where the rigid and flexible portions blend, however, a lateral offset or shoulder, 70, is formed on the tongue, which is normally separated a slight distance from the end of the arm, but which, when the tongue is pressed inward, strikes against the end of the arm, and thus forms a stop, which limits the vibration of the tongue and prevents its being forced quite beyond the tip of the capillary tube, and also prevents too much pressure bearing on the flexible portion of the tongue, as will be readily understood. The sustaining-arm thus supports and protects the delicate tongue throughout the main portion of its length, and also forms a means of stopping or limiting its movement, and enables the tongue to be inserted in or-removed from the conical tip without danger of injury, to which it is liable when not thus supported.

The end of the arm j, which projects from the upper edge of the ring 0, forms a handle, '11, by which the ring and its attachments may be screwed in or out of the tip, and this handle has a projecting cross-bar or shoulder, l,

I function on the-very last drop of ink in the which strikes against the edge of the tip and prevents the ring, 850., being screwed in too' ally from the tongue into a short longitudinal slot on the arm; but I prefer the eye on the end of the arm, with the lateral notch or shoulder on the tongue, as illustrated.

Another feature of my invention lies in an improved form of air-vent to admit the gradual outflow of the ink.

m is the vent-plug, which fits tightly into the top of the reservoir, as usual, and its outer end, which is threaded, receives the vent-cap a, by screwing which up or down, so as to cover or uncover a small hole, 0, communicating with the interior, the admission of air is regulated as required. I

Heretofore the vent-plug has been formed with a long air-tube extending therefrom to the bottom of the ink-reservoir; but this tube 1 dispense with, and I form the plug witha short tubular neck, over which is fastened a small cap or tube, 19, of soft vulcanized rubber or equivalent elastic material, as shown in i Fig. 1.

This tube or cap projects but a short distance into the reservoir, and its lower end is closed, while one or more fine cuts or slits, r, are made preferably on its sides by a sharp blade, thus forming, as will be readily understood, a delicate self-acting air-valve, which admits a slow infiltration of air to the reservoir to allow the gradual outflow of the ink from the tip of the pen.

It will be readily seen that this form of airvent is simpler and less expensive than the long air-tube, and, moreover, does not occupy and partly obstruct the reservoir, as does the latter; and, furthermore, it admits the air very gradually, as is required, and continues its reservoir, whereas thelon g air-tube permits the ink to run out too fast after the levelhas fallen.

below its extremity.

The remaining features-of my invention lie in the formation of the upper extremity of thevent-plug m, which formsthe upper extremity of the pen-handle, preferably terminatesin a slender shank, t, which rises centrally in the bore of the vent-cap a, but terminates flush with its upper end, as shown, and the tip-cap 8 preferably fits tightly over this shank and loosely in the bore of the vent-cap a when socketed thereon. The central stem, it, may, however, be omitted, and the tip-cap socketed tightly in the bore of the vent-cap, as will be readily understood.

This construction of the described parts, as will be readily observed, obviates the objection of having a salient projection on the top of thehandle, as usualin thesepens,and which" is liable to catch in the pocket.

I lay no claim in this application to the tubular plug or holdin g-rin g carrying the vibrating needle, and fixed to or adjustable in the case of the instrument, or in the lower section or tip thereof, having shown this feature in my former application, above referred to.

What I claim is 1. The combination, in a stylographic fountain-pen, of the elastic tongue (Z and the rigid arm f, extending in line with the tongue to about the middle thereof, and arranged to support and guide the same, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The elastic tongue (7, formed with a lateral stop-shoulder, 7c, in combination with the rigid arm f,forrn'ed with an eye, g, to guide the said tongue and stop the said shoulder, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with the ring 0, elastic tongue d, and arm f, of the fastening-wedge j, arranged and operating substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with the ring 0 and an elastic tongue secured thereto, of the handle i, formed with the stop-shoulder l, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a stylographic fountain-pen, a flexible vibrating tongue, d, having its outer portion rigid and its inner portion flexible or elastic, and mounted on a rigid sustaining-arm, f, arranged to extend toward the rigid portion of the tongue, with its end adapted to guide the tongue, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. In a stylographic fountain-pen, 'an airvent, consisting of a hollow or tubular plug, m, and an elastic or rubber cap, 1;,havingone or more fine'slits, 1', adapted to allow the slow infiltration of air, substantially as herein shown and described.

7. A stylographic fountain-pen having the upper extremity of its handle constructed with an annular recess having a central stem rising therein flush, or nearly so, with the top of the recess to receive the tip-cap s, substantially as 

